NASA Believes the Moon May Destroy Earth…But Don’t Panic Just Yet

Did you know that the Moon is slowly but surely drifting away from the Earth? That’s right, every year the Moon gets about 3.8 centimeters farther from us. But don’t worry, it’s not like the Moon is going to disappear overnight. In fact, it will take billions of years before the Moon finally leaves us.

But why is the Moon leaving us in the first place? Well, scientists have discovered that it’s not a new phenomenon. The Moon has always been slowly drifting away from the Earth, and it’s all because of the Milankovitch cycles. These cycles are long recurring patterns that have a significant impact on the Earth’s climate. They’re responsible for everything from ice ages to global rainstorms.

The Milankovitch cycles also play a role in the Moon’s drift. The closer the Moon is to the Earth, the shorter these cycles are. Scientists have calculated that the Moon must have been around 37,000 miles closer to the Earth 2.6 billion years ago than it is today. That’s a significant difference that would have affected the length of a day on Earth. In fact, a day would have been seven hours shorter than what we experience today.

But that’s not all. The expansion of the universe has also contributed to the Moon’s drift. The acceleration in the expansion of the universe has made the solar system expand as well. As a result, the distance between any two celestial bodies in the solar system, including the Moon and Earth, is increasing.

So, what does this all mean for us? Well, for now, we don’t need to worry about the Moon destroying the Earth. It will take billions of years for the Moon to drift far enough away that it no longer has an impact on the Earth’s climate and geography.

In the meantime, we can continue to appreciate the Moon for all that it does for us. It helps keep our planet stable and in the Goldilocks zone, and it provides us with beautiful views in the night sky. So, let’s not panic just yet. The Moon isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.